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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. charge — in control
  3. root — the cause
  4. charge — a price
  5. root — of a word
  6. spring — of water
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rock — music
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. clip — a video
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bank — of a river
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bank — for money
  21. spring — the season
  22. charge — electricity
  23. clip — to cut
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com